Abstract
Introduction Police and social forces " The blue in green: " a short history of Indonesian policing The social power of post-colonial militaries Polri and the seesaw political economy of regime change Conclusion Reader's Guide Why are joint police-military operations so prevalent in post-authoritarian Indonesia? In this case study, we examine how joint police-military policing operations are a product of Indonesia's long and contested colonial and postcolonial history over policing. We explore how a Western analytical lens can obscure the " problem " of police-military operations, that is the underlying political economy dynamics that bring coveted rents to Indonesia's security institutions, despite the dangers they present for ordinary people. By drilling down into the political economy dynamics of policing, we can explore questions about how in post-colonial contexts we conceptually approach policing and the security institutions that implement it.